Hi there! I’m Arlo!

I am a 1-year-old boy who feeling lucky about finding my fur-ever family! I am a playful boy who loves his toys! My dream family would love to take me on daily walks and shower me in love.
Do you think I could be a part of your family? Bring your family, including dogs, to meet me at HSSA Main Campus at 635 W. Roger Rd. You can also give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 173 for more information.

Lots of Wags,
Arlo (840715)

Georgia State University in Atlanta is a state college in an area with some of the country's best known black colleges, which are there mainly because, until the 1960s, Georgia State was segregated. Now the black colleges are looking at Georgia State's innovations to learn how to better serve their own student populations.

It feels good to write an unreservedly positive story about education, even if I had to go to Georgia to find it. Even better, the model they use is already in place to a lesser extent in our universities and can be expanded by increasing services and creating a strong high tech tracking system.

Georgia State has a student population which is 51 percent black and Hispanic. In 2003 it had a 32 percent graduation rate. The graduation rate has climbed to 54 percent, a substantial improvement.

Once the university determines which students are academically at risk, it begins an intensive program of counseling and tutoring to keep them in school. The students attend a seven week summer session before they begin classes where they have a chance to get to know the campus while they learn about the tutoring, advising and financial literacy programs. Each student has an advisor. Once classes start, the college has as many as 800 alerts which can be warning signs the student is beginning to experience problems. Advisors call, email and meet with students on a regular basis, and address problems quickly as they arise.

Your Weekly guide to keeping busy in the Old Pueblo.

Performances

Cirque Italia. As if Cirque de Soleil wasn’t crazy enough, this show has all the acrobatics, contortionism, aerials and other impressive feats, but with a 35,000-gallon tank of water underneath it all. Who wouldn’t be impressed by one of those people flipping around on a piece of fabric hanging from the ceiling? Or someone doing a headstand on top of someone else’s head? And they’ve got some seriously good performers—the show held auditions in 25 countries to find the 30 artists featured in the show, and travels to about 50 cities per year. You’ll love it, the kids’ll love it, your in-laws’ll love it. What’s not to love? Showtimes at 1:30, 4:30 and 7:30, depending on the day of the week. Friday, May 18 through Monday, May 28. Cirque Italia’s Big Top Silver, 5870 E. Broadway Blvd in the Park Place parking lot. Tickets range from $10 for the cheapest children’s seat to $40 for the most expensive adult seat.

Voices Like Ours. The Reveille Men’s Chorus is offering up a friendly reminder of that most universal of truths: Music is for anyone and everyone, regardless of who they are, where they came from or what they enjoy. (Assuming there isn’t anyone who truly hates all music?) To do it, they’ll be singing songs that range from the 1960s to today, and combining music, comedy, dance and drama to explore more universal (or near-universal) themes, like aging and gender. Lift those voices, and those spirits! 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. 2 p.m. on Sunday, May 20. Temple of Music and Art, 330 S. Scott Ave. $20 in advance, $25 at the door.

Tim Allen. Which of the many faces of Tim Allen is your favorite? Is it the debonair, grunting man’s man from “Home Improvement?” The tricked-out, totally enviable Buzz Lightyear in the Toy Story films? The grinchlike Scott Calvin-turned-Santa Claus in “The Santa Clause?” Face it: You can’t choose. And you don’t have to. Allen, who recently finished the sixth season of the sitcom Last Man Standing, is on a comedy tour across the country, including to Tucson and beyond! 8 p.m. Saturday, May 19. Tucson Music Hall, 260 S. Church Ave. $49 to $89+.

Star Wars. You might not usually spend your weekends seeing shows put on by the City High School theater department, but the City High School theater department isn’t usually putting on one of the most beloved stories of all time. If watching the Star Wars movies makes you feel nostalgic, imagine how nostalgic you’re going to feel when you watch the show put on by people who were the same age you were when you first got really into the franchise. 1 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Friday, May 18 and 2 p.m. and 7 p.m. on Saturday, May 19. Their dress rehearsal at 6 p.m. on Thursday, May 17 is also open to the public and free. 47 E. Pennington St. Tickets are available at the door or at City High in advance. $5 or free for CHS and PFFS students. Email [email protected] to reserve tickets in advance.

Flip Schultz headlines Laff’s Comedy Caffe shows Friday and Saturday, May 18 and 19. In the feature slot is Arizona comedian Jill Kimmel, who probably wishes we would all stop mentioning that she’s Jimmy’s sister. Although she’s performed sketches on her sibling’s show, she’s compiled her own solid credentials in top comedy clubs and at U.S. military bases throughout Europe and the Middle East.

Flip Schultz’ destiny was ordained at age eight when his comedy set swept the voting at a summer camp talent show. This was no fluke. He had for years made the rounds of family gatherings, bar mitzvahs, senior centers—wherever he found an audience.

At 18, he won the first open mic contest he ever entered. His commitment to standup survived college and a degree in theatre. He has since performed in comedy clubs throughout the world. Per his bio, he is now especially “sought-after” in Scandinavia. Yes! We feel cooler just typing Scandinavia.

John Stringer headlines and Jimmy Earl opens on Friday and Saturday, May 25 and 26. The Sunday, May 27 show has sold out.

Stringer brings some trademark Austin weirdness to the Laff’s stage. His comedy is accessible, high-energy, physical and loud-ish, reflecting a singular resistance to maturity.

Jimmy Earl’s name and coloring conjure the Ozarks and secret sausage recipes, but he often introduces himself as a Filipino from Canada. Humor ensues, often revolving around his family’s unique cultural mélange.

Laff’s shows are at 8 and 10:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. Tickets are $12.50 and $17.50 via laffstucson.com.

On losing the beloved Jen Finley

Few things focus the attention like a bald comedian onstage with a feeding tube, but even laid low with cancer at 32, Jennifer Finley was crazy funny. She joked mainly in one-liners—original, twisted, unique and, whenever possible, shocking. Tucson comics were united in love for her and inspiration they took from her commitment to comedy. Literally from her deathbed last week she made jokes for those gathered to say goodbye. There may never have been so much laughter at a funeral. Thanks, Jen.

Mic news

Kev Lee hosts the new“Sunday Night Live Stand-up or Shut Up Open Mic” at Flycatcher, 9 p.m. Sunday, May 20. Rory Monserrat and Cindell Hansen, hosts of a former mic at Loudhouse, reboot at 7 p.m., Tuesday, May 22 at the new Cans Deli, 340  N 4th Ave. Word is that both these mics will continue if there’s support. You know what to do.

Hearing "You've got a month left to vote in Best of Tucson!" might sound a lot like "You've got SO MUCH TIME left to vote in Best of Tucson!" Then again, consider that it's already mid May. Wasn't it March just, like, yesterday? No. Time slips away, and so does your time to show your love for your favorite Tucson institutions.

What I'm saying is: You should start your Best of Tucson ballot. Take a look at the list of categories, carefully consider who you're going to vote for, and submit your ballot! You can come back to your submissions again and again and again and again as many times as you want before midnight on June 17. Then, we'll lock you out of the voting portal, ruthlessly sweep away everyone but the top contenders in each category, and release a new ballot wherein the only people/places you'll be able to vote for are the ones you and your fellow Tucsonans deemed real contenders.

If you want to like the choices you have in the finals, vote in the primaries—and do it soon.
 

I've been reading about North Carolina's Reverend William Barber and his Poor People's Campaign over the past few days, and contributed to the organization's legal defense fund for people being arrested during what it calls its "growing moral fusion movement." (I mention my contribution not to pat myself on the back but to encourage others to consider making a donation.) Keep that word "fusion" in mind as you read what follows. The Poor People's Campaign just began 40 days of nonviolent action in some 30 state capitols across the country and Washington, D.C. More on that and Reverend Barber later.

First I want to write about a hole I just filled in my gap-filled understanding of U.S. history: the Fusion Coalition in North Carolina at the turn of the 20th century and the Wilmington Massacre of 1898, which has been called the only successful coup d'etat in U.S. history. I read a bit about it in articles about Reverend Barber and decided to dig deeper on my own. If you know this history, your education is more complete than mine. If not, it's worth reading about this event, a chilling example of the dangers which can follow from blacks growing in affluence and influence, and joining forces with poor whites, in a place where racism reigns supreme.

Here's the basic story. Wilmington was the largest city in North Carolina in the late 19th century and also home to a large, reasonably affluent and educated black populace made up in part of skilled workers, professionals and business people. The city also had one on the few black-owned daily newspapers in the country, the Daily Record.

At the time, the Democratic Party was the party of racism and segregation and the Republican Party deserved to be called the Party of Lincoln. The Republican party was composed of white and black voters. North Carolina Republicans were joined by the Populists to form the Fusion Coalition. By 1894, the Fusion party had taken the governorship and every other statewide office. Blacks served in local and state governments.

The Democratic Party decided the best way to regain political control was to appeal to whites' racial resentment. The state party chairman stated, "North Carolina is a WHITE MAN'S STATE and WHITE MEN will rule it, and they will crush the party of Negro domination beneath a majority so overwhelming that no other party will ever dare to attempt to establish negro rule here."

White Supremacy clubs formed around the state. In Wilmington, some of the most incendiary anti-black speeches came from Alfred Waddell, a gifted orator and member of the city's upper class. In one speech he said, "We will never surrender to a ragged raffle of Negroes, even if we have to choke the Cape Fear River with carcasses."

"You teachers need to get back to playing beanbag with your boys and girls and leave the political hardball to us. Don't trouble your pretty little educator heads with things you don't understand."

That's the mantra Republicans are directing at teachers: "Don't get political."

"You said you wanted a raise," teachers are being told. "Well, we gave you one. You're welcome. But some of your leaders won't take 'Yes' for an answer. They don't care about you. They just want to make this political."

Republicans have been using public education as a political punching bag for years so they can rationalize underfunding the education of 80 percent of our children who attend public schools while they funnel ever more money to private school vouchers. So it's only natural, they want teachers to take their raises and go home before they cause any more trouble.

"You're putting an initiative on the ballot to tax the rich? Bad move. If you get partisan, you'll lose public support."

That's coming from a party whose elected officials signed "No New Taxes" pledges and a governor who promises to cut taxes every legislative session. They fill their campaign war chests with contributions from corporations, Arizona's wealthy elite and, of course, the Koch brothers network. The money comes with the understanding that taxes on the rich will continue their downward slide. Naturally they hope teachers will acknowledge a simple fact of life: When the rich get richer and teachers make subsistence wages, that's just the price of Freedom.

Matilda Anna Ingrid Lutz is dynamite as Jen, mistress to Richard (Kevin Janssens), a rich man with a fancy house in the middle of the desert. Jen and Richard are enjoying a romantic getaway when Richard’s hunting buddies (Vincenct Colombe and Guillaume Bouchede) show up early and immediately commence ogling Jen.

After a night of partying and some seductive dancing by all, Jen passes out in the bedroom. Richard goes away to take care of some business for a couple of hours, and that’s all the time his friend needs to assault Jen. Upon Richard’s return, rather than helping Jen, he escalates the situation until Jen winds up impaled on a tree at the bottom of a cliff.

Where the story goes from here is where the movie gets its name; director Coralie Fargeat isn’t interested in Jen simply getting away. She patches herself up, gets herself a gun, and when the boys hunt for her after her body goes missing, major, messy bloodletting ensues. Lutz takes her character from eye candy to kickass female avenger, and her every moment on screen declares her a star. Janssens makes for a fascinatingly horrible enemy, as does Colombe as the moron who crosses the line with Jen and unleashes the fury.

Hey, Jen is super hot and super fit. The woman has been to the gym, and she will go Rambo on your ass if you wrong her. And boy, does she ever go Rambo on their asses. The results are pretty unforgettable, and Lutz puts up one of the more memorable performances of the year thus far

Available for streaming on iTunes and Amazon.com during a limited theatrical release.

“I am a very sweet girl who loves attention and enjoys long chats with my favorite people.”
—  Colette (845297)

Colette is a 4-year-old girl who is looking for the purr-fect family! Come fall in love with me at PAWSH Park Place at 5870 E. Broadway Blvd. For more information give an adoptions counselor a call at 520-327-6088, ext. 133.

Dust off your bullshit detector, put in new set of batteries and turn it on.

Ready? OK, feed this into your BSD. "The five top high schools in the country are all in Arizona, and they're all part of one charter school chain." Does that statement trigger your detector's smell alert? Are red lights flashing? I hope so. Such ridiculously lopsided results should raise suspicions that someone is gaming the system.

"BASIS has the top five high schools in the country!" It's all over the news and on the latest BASIS public relations blast. To be accurate, it should read, "BASIS snagged the top five spots on U.S. News & World Report's high school rankings by requiring its academically select students to take at least 8 Advanced Placement courses." AP or IB (International Baccalaureate) courses decide a school's ranking. The more courses students take and the better they do on the exams, the higher the ranking. Period. BASIS has figured out how to play the game better than any other schools in the country.

The Star article on the U.S. News & World Report ranking is hopelessly misleading. Hank Stephenson, who usually does his homework, must have knocked this one out in a few minutes so he could get back to more serious reporting. If he ran a simple google search, he could have read my posts about the rankings's questionable criteria from 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016 and 2017. Or he might have tapped his colleague Tim Steller on the shoulder, who exposed the ranking system in the Star in 2013.

Stephenson and a lot of other reporters have written that the rankings are based on diversity, free/reduced lunch programs, graduation rates, state test scores, things like that. And, Stephenson adds at the end of the list, "Advanced Placement [is] also considered." That's like saying the winner of a boxing match is chosen based on weight, medical exams, drug testing, things like that. And what happens in the ring is also considered.